The Board has granted service connection for valvular heart disease with supraventricular arrhythmia as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder, after considering all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion indicated that the Veteran's heart disability was not caused by his service-connected PTSD. However, the Board resolved this doubt in favor of the Veteran and concluded that valvular and supraventricular diseases are usually due to alcohol use, genetics or diet, which is linked to the Veteran's service-connected alcohol use disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- valvular heart disease with supraventricular arrhythmia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- A26012785
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A26012785.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
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